Sirik

Sirik had recently moved into a newly remodeled estate in the Estate district of Darujhistan and it was there that Sirik awaited the imminent appearance of one of his caravans, coming from Bastion in central Genabackis, with a valuable load of the increasing popular beverage, Kelyk. Sirik watched (surrounded by five of his private bodyguards and Kest their captain), as the caravan arrived in the gated compound of his estate but Sirik was extremely shocked when he realized that only half of the expected number of his trader-wagons had successfully made the return journey and that only one man (out of nine caravan guards and eight wagon drivers) had survived. Almost speechless, Sirik noted that the four wagon drivers of the remaining four wagons, each with but a single, struggling horse, were animated dead men. Horrified by the entire situation, Sirik asked the lone living survivor, Gruntle (the leader of the caravan and of the caravan guards), for an explanation - which Gruntle reported as being an attack on the caravan by a hundred, shrieking raiders of the Dwelling Plain (which the caravan had had to cross on its return trip from Bastion to Darujhistan). Gruntle reminded Sirik that he had ignored Gruntle's warning that the caravan had not been assigned enough guards to begin with - as for the undead drivers, Gruntle could only tell Sirik that in the heat of the attack, four of the dead had gotten up and had started taking his orders (which assuredly had something to do with the fact that Gruntle happened to be Trake's Mortal Sword).[2]

At this point, Sirik had recovered enough to argue with Gruntle that, since he had delivered only half the Kelyk expected, he should be paid only half the pay that he was owed. Gruntle had little difficulty convincing Sirik that it would be wisest for him to pay Gruntle the whole amount, which Sirik very reluctantly did.[3] In fact, Sirik would still be able to make a very hefty profit, even with half the Kelyk he had been expecting, especially since he did not have to pay the eight dead drivers and since he had insurance which would offset some of the cost of replacing the destroyed caravan wagons and the dead horses.[4]